


A Semi-Successful Attempt at Baking and Decorating a Cake

by Polska_1999



Series: Sprint Towards Blackout (Happy Steve Bingo 2018) [17]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Baking, Birthday, Birthday Cake, Cake, Cute, Domestic Avengers, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 13:36:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16388708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polska_1999/pseuds/Polska_1999
Summary: Steve and Sam decide to throw a small celebration for Natasha’s birthday.“It looks a bit like an afro if you tilt your head and look at it from a certain angle,” Sam offered a painfully honest commentary.Steve groaned. “We can’t give her this!” he fretted.





	A Semi-Successful Attempt at Baking and Decorating a Cake

**Author's Note:**

> For the _Birthday Cake_ square on my **Happy Steve Bingo** card.

Steve did not realize just how difficult it was to create a birthday cake until he and Sam tried to bake one for Natasha’s birthday.

They were on a mission in Budapest when the spy off-handedly mentioned that her birthday was coming up in the next couple of days. The moment they returned to the Tower, Steve immediately asked JARVIS when Natasha’s birthday actually was, only to discover that it was the next day. So, he and Sam made a plan to celebrate Natasha’s birthday, and so far it had been going flawlessly… until it came time to make the cake. They decided to use a recipe that Steve had learned from Bucky, who said it was a secret Barnes family recipe that was a well-held secret, and then they would decorate the cake to make it look better. What was meant to be a cake in the shape and design of a widow spider ended up being, well…  

“It looks a bit like an afro if you tilt your head and look at it from a certain angle,” Sam offered a painfully honest commentary.

Steve groaned. “We can’t give her this!” he fretted.

“Hey man, it’s the thought that counts. Besides, she’s gonna get here in, what, half an hour? That’s nowhere near enough time to remake the cake.”

Why did Sam always have to be right?

“You’re right. Let’s just make sure everything else is ready.”

As if on cue, Natasha walked in exactly half an hour later. There was no surprise jumping out from hiding — they weren’t stupid enough to try that with Black Widow. However, the actual birthday party was clearly a surprise, for the smile she gave them upon seeing the  _ Happy Birthday _ banner was more genuine than just about anything else about her. Steve felt a bit proud that the birthday celebration was at least a partial success, with Natasha’s smile bringing a smile to his own face.

Then Natasha saw the cake.

“It… looks a bit like an afro,” she commented, approaching the monstrosity.

“Told you,” Sam said, elbowing Steve. Steve shoved him before walking over to grab plates and cut pieces of the cake. 

Of course, the Birthday Girl got the first piece, and she wasted no time in grabbing a fork and trying some of the cake. A bit of confusion crossed her face as she ate, and once she finished chewing and swallowed, she turned to the guys, mildly surprised. “It’s really good.”

“C’mon, Nat, you don’t gotta pity us,” Steve said, not having tried the cake yet.

“I’m not kidding, it’s actually good!” Natasha assured, far more expressive than her normal spy self. “I’m impressed. Who knew two bachelors could make something without burning the kitchen down, much less actually make something good?”

“Is it sad that I trust her more due to the insult?” Sam asked, then took a bite of the cake. “Holy shit, Steve, she wasn’t kidding. Where the hell did you even get this recipe to begin with?”

Steve shrugged. “Can’t tell.”

“I’ll find out,” Nat promised. “Or I’ll just have you make me cake more often. Either works.”

Steve eventually tried the cake, and yeah, it was pretty good. He’d need to save a slice to bring home and store until Bucky came back from his current Avenger mission with Clint. Maybe Nat would even be nice enough to save a slice for Clint, too. (She wasn’t.)

Steve ended up making that cake again for every Avenger birthday, just without the attempts at decorating this time around.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! I am participating in the **Happy Steve Bingo** event and will be attempting to go for a blackout bingo; thus, I plan on filling all 25 squares of my card — that means, get ready for as many as 25 fics total featuring our favorite (if a bit self-sacrificial) supersoldier!
> 
> Most of my works, including this one, are beta-read by the one and only amazingly wonderful [SpaceKeet!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceKeet/pseuds/SpaceKeet) If you get the chance, go out and give her some love!
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for reading! If you liked it, feel free to drop a kudos or comment if you have something you want to say. Wanna contact me? You can find me on [Tumblr](https://polska-1999.tumblr.com/) or ask me for my Discord in the comments.


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